This weekend the Guardian / Observer are putting out a free 2-part guide on fixing stuff yourself instead of paying someone else to do it.
They very kindly asked me to do the bit about repairing your clothes, so I HEARTILY recommend crawling out of bed on Sunday to get a copy of the Observer with my bit in it. You could get the Saturday Guardian too, I suppose….
There’s an amusing little extra involving me in the guide too – I’ll let you in on that once it’s out next week.
And many, many thanks to Perri Lewis for commissioning me to do this!
Ruth Singer 
Gee I just love the front cover illustrations
I enjoyed reading Mark Watson's article, but I have the feeling he won't be re-dubbing himself 'the Stand-up Embroiderer' any time soon. Don't you find it baffling when people claim to have never so much as stitched on a button? Do they just throw their de-buttoned clothing away…? I really hope that all over the nation today people are making their first tentative attempts to thread a needle, tongues poking out of the corner of their mouth in concentrated effort. A* for effort, Ruth!
he really really really had never sewn anything before. it was kind of astonishing that he was so undextrous with the needle. Bless. Dry cleaners sew on buttons, apparently…